A irritant that marks the drive on the stretch of Surapet Main Road between Surapet and Puzhal will soon be a thing of the past. The State Highways Department has started work on installing LED lights on the stretch.
Motorists from areas like Red Hills, Padiyanallur, Puzhal, Annanoor, Thirumullavoyal, Avadi use Surapet Main Road to reach the central parts of the city via Ambattur and Anna Nagar.
As the ongoing flyover work in Retteri has been adding to the traffic chaos on Jawaharlal Nehru (J.N) Main Road, especially during rush hour, motorists from the Chennai’s western outskirts find it convenient to use Surapet Main Road to reach the central parts of the city in a short time.
In 2019, the State Highways Department widened the road between Puzhal and Surapet, making it a four-laner. Work on fitting street lights was pending.
“Prior to the lockdown, accidents were common on this stretch. Thankfully, lights have been installed now,” points out S. Jegan, a motorist from Puzhal.
As per the plan, more than 15 LED street lights would come up on the median, with every two street lights spaced 30 metres apart.
Each lamp pole will be have a height of 15 feet and lectrical fittings including LED bulbs on both sides. The entire is expected to be completed in a month. Reflectors will also be installed on accident-prone spots including narrow bends near the Puzhal intersection. The stretch is also a key MTC bus route that connects extended areas of the Greater Chennai Corporation including Athipet, Ambattur, Mannurpet, Oragadam, Korattur, Padi and Nolambur with Red Hills.
In 2019, culverts were constructed between Chennai Metrowater pumping station and a gas station, a distance of around 800 metres. Earlier, the 800-metres-stretch had a narrow bend with no street lights, median and reflectors. The area is also low-lying, making it prone to inundation. Motorists found it difficult to differentiate between the low-lying carriageway and the stormwater drain as both would be submerged in heavy rainwater.
In the past, there have been incidents of motorists slipping into the open drain. Motorists hope that installation of LED lights will make this stretch safer.